Fixes in static particles. Result of going over details with Chris Burt,

thanks for that!

- static particles that are being deformed (curve/lattice/armature) now
  display correct in 3d window. Only updates when particle system updates
  normally though
- static particles without "animate" set didn't deform even
- static particles used as duplicators had errors with extreme low "life"
  value for particles. Also, still cases could happen with unrotated duplis
  at the end of a static particle line (with Vect option)
- Added tooltip for "Step" option in particles

source/blender/blenkernel/intern/anim.c

@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ void particle_duplilist(Scene *sce, Object *par, PartEff *paf)
 							float mtime;
 							
 							where_is_particle(paf, pa, pa->time, vec1);
-							mtime= pa->time+pa->lifetime+paf->staticstep-1;
+							mtime= pa->time+pa->lifetime;
 							
 							for(ctime= pa->time; ctime<mtime; ctime+=paf->staticstep) {
 								newob= new_dupli_object(&duplilist, ob, par);
@@ -470,11 +470,11 @@ void particle_duplilist(Scene *sce, Object *par, PartEff *paf)
 								/* to give ipos in object correct offset */
 								where_is_object_time(newob, ctime-pa->time);
 
-								where_is_particle(paf, pa, ctime-0.5, vec);	// makes sure there's always a vec
+								where_is_particle(paf, pa, ctime, vec);	// makes sure there's always a vec
 								Mat4MulVecfl(par->obmat, vec);
 								
 								if(paf->stype==PAF_VECT) {
-									where_is_particle(paf, pa, ctime+0.5, vec1); // makes sure there's always a vec
+									where_is_particle(paf, pa, ctime+1.0, vec1); // makes sure there's always a vec
 									Mat4MulVecfl(par->obmat, vec1);
 
 									VecSubf(vec1, vec1, vec);

source/blender/blenkernel/intern/effect.c

@@ -53,22 +53,23 @@
 #include "BLI_arithb.h"
 #include "BLI_rand.h"
 
-#include "BKE_utildefines.h"
+#include "BKE_action.h"
 #include "BKE_bad_level_calls.h"
-#include "BKE_global.h"
-#include "BKE_material.h"
-#include "BKE_effect.h"
-#include "BKE_key.h"
-#include "BKE_ipo.h"
-#include "BKE_screen.h"
-#include "BKE_main.h"
 #include "BKE_blender.h"
-#include "BKE_object.h"
+#include "BKE_constraint.h"
+#include "BKE_deform.h"
 #include "BKE_displist.h"
+#include "BKE_effect.h"
+#include "BKE_global.h"
+#include "BKE_ipo.h"
+#include "BKE_key.h"
 #include "BKE_lattice.h"
 #include "BKE_mesh.h"
-#include "BKE_action.h"
-#include "BKE_constraint.h"
+#include "BKE_material.h"
+#include "BKE_main.h"
+#include "BKE_object.h"
+#include "BKE_screen.h"
+#include "BKE_utildefines.h"
 
 #ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
 #include <config.h>
@@ -286,6 +287,7 @@ void where_is_particle(PartEff *paf, Particle *pa, float ctime, float *vec)
 	/* first find the first particlekey */
 	a= (int)((paf->totkey-1)*(ctime-pa->time)/pa->lifetime);
 	if(a>=paf->totkey) a= paf->totkey-1;
+	else if(a<0) a= 0;
 	
 	pa+= a;
 	
@@ -1132,7 +1134,7 @@ void build_particle_system(Object *ob)
 	int armature_parent;
 	float framelenont, ftime, dtime, force[3], imat[3][3], vec[3];
 	float fac, prevobmat[4][4], sfraont, co[3];
-	int deform=0, a, b, c, cur, cfraont, cfralast, totpart;
+	int deform=0, a, cur, cfraont, cfralast, totpart;
 	short no[3];
 
 	if(ob->type!=OB_MESH) return;
@@ -1150,6 +1152,9 @@ void build_particle_system(Object *ob)
 	waitcursor(1);
 
 	disable_speed_curve(1);
+	
+	/* warning! we cannot call this when modifier is active! */
+	mesh_modifier(ob, 's');
 
 	/* generate all particles */
 	if(paf->keys) MEM_freeN(paf->keys);
@@ -1235,24 +1240,29 @@ void build_particle_system(Object *ob)
 	
 	/* init */
 	give_mesh_mvert(me, totpart, co, no, paf->seed);
-
-	printf("\n");
-	printf("Calculating particles......... \n");
-
+	
+	if(G.f & G_DEBUG) {
+		printf("\n");
+		printf("Calculating particles......... \n");
+	}
 	for(a=0; a<totpart; a++, ftime+=dtime) {
 		
 		pa= new_particle(paf);
 		pa->time= ftime;
 		
-		c = totpart/100;
-		if (c==0){
-			c = 1;
-		}
+		if(G.f & G_DEBUG) {
+			int b, c;
+			
+			c = totpart/100;
+			if (c==0){
+				c = 1;
+			}
 
-		b=(a%c);
-		if (b==0) {
-			printf("\r Particle: %d / %d ", a, totpart);
-			fflush(stdout);
+			b=(a%c);
+			if (b==0) {
+				printf("\r Particle: %d / %d ", a, totpart);
+				fflush(stdout);
+			}
 		}
 		/* set ob at correct time */
 		
@@ -1334,9 +1344,10 @@ void build_particle_system(Object *ob)
 		make_particle_keys(0, a, paf, pa, force, deform, mtexmove, ob->lay);
 	}
 	
-	printf("\r Particle: %d / %d \n", totpart, totpart);
-	fflush(stdout);
-	
+	if(G.f & G_DEBUG) {
+		printf("\r Particle: %d / %d \n", totpart, totpart);
+		fflush(stdout);
+	}	
 	if(deform) end_latt_deform();
 		
 	/* restore */
@@ -1373,6 +1384,8 @@ void build_particle_system(Object *ob)
 
 	if(ma) do_mat_ipo(ma);	// set back on current time
 	disable_speed_curve(0);
+	
+	mesh_modifier(ob, 'e');
 
 	waitcursor(0);
 

source/blender/renderconverter/intern/convertBlenderScene.c

@@ -1285,12 +1285,9 @@ static void init_render_mesh(Object *ob)
 
 	paf = give_parteff(ob);
 	if(paf) {
-		mesh_modifier(ob, 's');
-		
+		/* warning; build_particle_system does modifier calls itself */
 		if(paf->flag & PAF_STATIC) render_static_particle_system(ob, paf);
 		else render_particle_system(ob, paf);
-		
-		mesh_modifier(ob, 'e');  // end
 		return;
 	}
 

source/blender/src/buttons_object.c

@@ -1522,6 +1522,7 @@ void object_panel_effects(Object *ob)
 			paf= (PartEff *)eff;
 			
 			uiDefBut(block, BUT, B_RECALCAL, "RecalcAll", 741,187,67,27, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, "Update the particle system");
+			uiBlockBeginAlign(block);
 			uiDefButS(block, TOG|BIT|2, B_CALCEFFECT, "Static",	825,187,67,27, &paf->flag, 0, 0, 0, 0, "Make static particles (deform only works with SubSurf)");
 			if(paf->flag & PAF_STATIC)
 				uiDefButS(block, TOG|BIT|4, B_DIFF, "Animated",825,167,67,20, &paf->flag, 0, 0, 0, 0, "Static particles are recalculated each rendered frame");
@@ -1529,7 +1530,7 @@ void object_panel_effects(Object *ob)
 			uiBlockBeginAlign(block);
 			uiDefButI(block, NUM, B_CALCEFFECT, "Tot:",			550,146,91,20, &paf->totpart, 1.0, 100000.0, 0, 0, "Set the total number of particles");
 			if(paf->flag & PAF_STATIC) {
-				uiDefButS(block, NUM, REDRAWVIEW3D, "Step:",	644,146,84+97,20, &paf->staticstep, 1.0, 100.0, 10, 0, "");
+				uiDefButS(block, NUM, REDRAWVIEW3D, "Step:",	644,146,84+97,20, &paf->staticstep, 1.0, 100.0, 10, 0, "For static duplicators, the Step value skips particles");
 			}
 			else {
 				uiDefButF(block, NUM, B_CALCEFFECT, "Sta:",		644,146,84,20, &paf->sta, -250.0, 9000.0, 100, 0, "Specify the startframe");